10 June 2023
People who are genetically predisposed to have higher levels of Fusicatenibacter bacteria scored better on verbal and mathematical tests, while those with more Oxalobacter scored lower
19 April 2023
Following claims that an AI has shown "sparks of artificial general intelligence", what are we to make of the hype surrounding this technology? AI expert Melanie Mitchell is your guide
29 March 2023
Many people feel an uncanny "presence" when no one is there. Ben Alderson-Day explores why this is, in a lively and comprehensive book
11 January 2023
Science and reason generate reliable knowledge about the world, but they have their limits. Exploring them can shed light on what knowledge really is, and should help us gain more of it
20 July 2022
A Google engineer recently claimed an AI was alive and that it had hired a lawyer. If judges were to accept these claims, it could lead to AIs being frozen in their biased states, writes Annalee Newitz
7 March 2022
Exposure to leaded petrol as a child has been linked to an average IQ drop of 2.6 points among US adults, increasing to 5.9 points among those born in the mid-to-late 1960s
8 December 2021
To explain the paradox of a smart species that embraces fake news, conspiracy theories and paranormal woo, we need to rethink rationality, says psychologist Steven Pinker
5 May 2021
Having good metacognition - the ability to think about our own thoughts - is key to success in many aspects of life. Fortunately, there are things we can all do to get to know ourselves better
24 February 2021
We too often turn to insulting people’s brain power – and that closes off our ability to understand others, argues Melanie Challenger
13 January 2021
Our narrow definition of intelligence has worsened social, economic and racial inequalities, and left us ill-equipped to come together to solve global problems
